Helping Her Stay
by Pammy-Nosepoke
Summary: What if Desmond had been a girl? She's slowly losing herself to the Bleeding Effect, and Shaun finds himself in the uncomfortable position of being the one to help. Rated for later chapters.
1. Nightmare

**So I clearly don't own Assassin's Creed, or anything related. Ubisoft owns those things, and I only own the plot for this story. Plot, and nothing else.**

Desmond sat up from the Animus, head spinning. She - well, Ezio - had just finished a very pleasant conversation with Leonardo when they were attacked by Templars. It had been a huge struggle to give Leo the time to escape, to hold the Templars back long enough to ensure his safety, but she - no, not her, Ezio - had done it, and even managed to win the fight with minimal damage. Desi appreciated this; the Animus made everything feel so real, every little bump and scratch. Desi actually knew what it felt like to be stabbed with a sword, to be shot. The Animus made everything feel so absolutely real. It was one reason why it was so hard to keep Ezio and Altair separated from herself.

"Hey, Des, you okay?" asked Rebecca. Desi shook her head to clear it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just… been a long day, you know?" Rebecca smiled wryly.

"Yeah, I know. I saw what happened there. He had some great skills, am I right?" Desi actually laughed. God, at times like this, it felt great to have someone like Becca. A friend who was just so absolutely _normal_.

"Oh, totally. You should hear the way he thinks - thought, I mean. It's just a huge, testosterone-fueled 'Grrr face' moment." The two girls laughed. Lucy, however, didn't miss Desi's slip of the tongue.

"Desmond, what year is it?" she asked suspiciously from across the room. Desi sighed at the use of her first name.

"Twenty-twelve. I know, Lucy. And stop calling me Desmond. I hate that name. Who names their girl _Desmond_, anyway?" From his seat in front of the tack board Shaun rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come of it, yeah? It's just a name. There's nothing wrong with the name Desmond. It's not like you haven't turned it into a perfectly feminine _Desi_. Really, complaining over a name?" The blonde Brit rolled his eyes again. Desi flipped him off.

"Hey, screw you, too, Hastings. How would you like it if your parents named you Sarah or something? Don't you sit there and tell me you'd stand to be called _Sarah_."

Shaun huffed indignantly. "I'll have you know, I'd just go by my middle name."

"Yeah, because can't you see me going by _James_? At least Desmond can be Desi. James becomes, what, Jay? No thanks." Desi slid from the Animus, making sure she didn't sway or anything. When it was clear that the room wasn't suddenly going to tilt sideways, she turned to Shaun.

"Now. Anything else you'd like to say?"

Shaun opened his mouth to respond as Lucy cut him off. "Come one, guys. Leave it alone for the day. Let's just everyone go to bed, and we'll all be in a better mood tomorrow." Shaun looked like he was ready to argue on the principle of the thing, but Lucy's glare silenced whatever protests he had in his head. Desi shook her head and went to her room, if only to hide her fear.

Desi didn't want to go to bed. She didn't want to go to sleep. Because she _couldn't _sleep, not anymore. Her nights were haunted by the memories of Altair, Ezio, even ancestors she'd never been. Swords, guns, fighting, killing, bleeding, hurting, dying.

At first, she had tried to let everyone else go to bed before her. Then she could sit in the sanctuary and pretend that she had slept. But that had only lasted for so long before Lucy noticed, eagle-eyed as she was. So Desi was forced to be the first to bed, to avoid the questions and whispers, avoid anyone seeing her tremble with fear. She didn't let anyone see her weaknesses, anyone. She couldn't afford it.

Sighing, Desi changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin and curling up defensively. Dread it as she did, sleep found its way to Desi's mind after a few hours, and her eyes slipped closed.

…

**Shaun**

Shaun ran a hand through his short blonde hair, exhausted. Desmond and the girls had gone to bed long ago, leaving just the computer and him. By now his eyes were burning and bleary, and he removed his glasses to rub at them. The task bar at the bottom of the screen told him that it was 3:18 in the morning.

"Well, mate," he yawned in self-satisfaction, stretching, "I think you've done enough for one day, yeah?" Shaun put his glasses back on, shut down his computer, and hobbled to his room. Once inside, he stripped out of his clothes and put on a pair of lounging pants to sleep in, wanting nothing more than to collapse onto his bed and sleep. His head had only just touched the pillow when the screaming began.

Shaun bolted upright, heart racing. _Who was that?_ Another cry shattered the quiet and he ran to his doorway, looking around frantically for which girl was in distress. A third scream had him running to the farthest room down the hall, Desmond's room. As he neared he realized he could hear broken pleas and terrified mews between the screams.

When he opened her door, Shaun stared at Desmond, unsure what to do. When she had hallucinations during the day, a few words and a hand on the shoulder would bring her back. This was clearly different. Desmond laid on her left side, knees drawn to her chest, dark hair splayed wildly around her face. Her right hand gripped the sheets under her chin so tightly her knuckles were white. Her left arm was extended out across the bed gripping the blanket so hard Shaun could see the tendons straining in her hand. Another scream ripped its way through her throat, and this close it vibrated everything in Shaun's head. The scariest part was the look of mingled pain and fear on her face.

Unbound irritation broke out in Shaun. He didn't particularly like this Desmond girl. She was infuriating, always rubbing him the wrong way. Now she was keeping him from his much-needed sleep with, what, a little nightmare?

He was brought back to situation at hand when Desmond's jagged murmuring broke into English. "No… I don't know, I swear…No!-" Another scream escaped her, waning into shattered whimpers, and now Shaun saw that she was trembling, covered in a cold sweat. Shaun had no choice now.

"Hey, Desmond," he said, crossing the room and placing a hand on her shaking shoulder. "Come on, now. Wake up." When that had no effect, he crawled over her - _God, what am I doing?_ - and sat on the other side of the bed. He gently pried her straining fingers away from the blankets. Instead of relaxing, they clenched into a fist so tightly Shaun wondered if they drew blood. He scooted closer to Desmond and shook her.

"Oi!" he said firmly. "Get up!" Desmond's eyes flew open, dark and wide and wild, and she scrambled away from him as fast as possible. With a cry of alarm she tumbled over the edge and onto the floor, tangled in the sheets and blankets. Shaun crawled over to the edge and looked over. As soon as she saw him, Desmond tried frantically to escape from the trap of cloth.

"No!" she whimpered, holding her arms out to keep Shaun away. "Not again! I swear I don't know where it is." Her voice wavered pitifully. A pang of concern shot through Shaun and he dropped to his belly on the bed, resting a hand on her ensnared foot.

"Desmond," he consoled. "Desmond, come on. It's me, Shaun. You know, computers? History? The one you annoy the ruddy dash out of?" She stared at him for a moment before whispering, "What?"

"You know me. Come on, get back into your bed." He reached his hand out to her hyperventilating form, and she looked terrified. He sighed and climbed down to sit next to her feet. She watched him with wary eyes.

"Come on, get to bed. I'm tired, you're tired, we both need sleep. Let's just pick ourselves up and -" Shaun was caught off guard by Desmond launching herself at him, her arms locking around his neck so tightly he wondered if she would strangle him. She trembled against him, her breathing ragged and shallow, making tiny little whines with about every other breath.

Shaun had no idea what to do, and part of him was irritated all over again. He wanted nothing more than to get up and go to bed. He didn't want to be sitting here, holding a terrified girl he didn't even like, freezing without a shirt. But the Brit also had a heart, and the sight of the whimpering American girl had his protective side in a hissy fit.

He awkwardly patted Desmond on the back. "Shush, now, you're fine. You're in your own room. It's the year twenty-twelve. You're Desmond Miles. You go by Desi. You're a twenty-six-year-old girl. You're here with Rebecca and Lucy and me." Shaun rambled off random facts, trying to get her to the present. One hand rested awkwardly on her hair while the other softly patted her back. He could feel every muscle in Desmond trying to gain control over her erratic breathing and trembling. They sat there, Shaun making no noise at all, for what felt like eternity before her breathing started to even out and the tremors stopped rocking her entire frame. She didn't relax the choking arms around his neck, though. Finally he broke the silence.

"Desmond, are you okay?" He asked quietly. There was a pause, and then Desmond nodded. She didn't move. Shaun sighed.

"Come on, now, let go." He made to push her off of him, but she tightened her hold on his neck even more, shaking her head rapidly. He tried again, saying, "Come off it, Desmond, I want to go to bed." Instead Desmond locked her arms in place, apparently refusing to let go.

"Don't," she whispered, fear and humiliation clear in her voice. "Don't make me let go. Please, Shaun. You don't understand." She buried her face deeper into the crook of her arm.

Shaun felt a pang for this girl through his irritation. He hadn't known her long, but he had definitely taken notice of the strength she seemed to rely on. He hadn't ever seen her show any kind of physical or emotional weakness. Now here she was, pleading with him not to leave her, not to abandon her to the nightmares again. She was at her most vulnerable, and she was asking him not to go. _What else can I do?_

Shaun patted her back again. "I won't, Desmond. I'll stay here." The girl seemed to radiate a sigh of relief, though she said nothing. After another stretch of eternity, Shaun was almost asleep when Desmond loosened her arms from around his neck. She slid away from him, about a foot, and even in the darkness Shaun could see the internal battle taking place on her face. She kept glancing at him, then shaking her head, only to do it again. Shaun stared at her for a few minutes.

"What do you want, Desmond?" His tone wasn't rude, but gentle. She looked at him for almost a minute before shaking her head.

"No, you need to get some sleep, Shaun. I'll be fine." Shaun noticed how she said _you _need to get some sleep, not _we. _She clearly wasn't planning on sleeping, and that wasn't going to help their mission.

"You need it as much as I do. What do you want?" Desmond looked at him warily before she scooted closer to him, their arms touching. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and said quietly, "I just can't be alone."

Shaun nodded, internally resolving to sleep on the hard, cold floor tonight. If his sitting here would keep her screams away, he would do it, if for no other reason than for his own sanity. It was a sad thing, watching this girl slowly lose hers. The hallucinations, the nightmares, the times when it was obvious she wasn't sure where or when she was, they all took a toll on her fragile hold on reality. It took a toll on the others, too, especially Rebecca and Lucy. They had formed a special bond with Desmond, and now they were all watching her slip away. It was hardest for Lucy, who had dealt with Subject 16. Shaun had heard about it from Lucy, and even he knew that Desmond was on the exact same path.

After a while, Desmond's head fell onto Shaun's shoulder, soft feminine snores slipping from her lips. Shaun took this as a sign that he could finally rest himself, and he was asleep in seconds.


	2. Keeper

When Desi woke up, she was confused. She was laying on her side, the blanket under her and tossed around her in a semblance of staying warm. Under her head was her pillow. She sat up and wondered how she had ended up in such a strange position.

And memory came rushing over her like a tsunami. Last night, she had been a Frenchman from… God, she had no idea when, only that it was before colonial America and after Ezio. She had been in a cold, stone prison deep underground. Her ancestor had been dimly and vaguely surprised by the depth. Most of his concentration had been focused, however, on the man - obviously a Templar after the Apple of Eden - with the sharp sword and hot metal rod.

The memory sent cold shivers down her spine. She could still feel her wrists chained to the wall behind her and feel the various wounds that had been inflicted.

…

"_Where is it?" the Templar demanded. Desi shook her head in desperation, looking from the floor at the Templar through her blonde bangs._

"_I don't know, I said! I know not of this Apple!" she cried. The man growled and motioned angrily to someone behind him. Another Templar came forward, having just removed an iron rod from a fire that Desi couldn't see from her cell but could smell constantly. The end of the rod glowed an angry red-orange and Desi could smell the tang of burning metal as the second Templar left, leaving just her and the Templar who now held the iron rod in his malicious hands. He leveled a dark glare at Desi and she nearly choked._

"_Now," he growled, languidly waving the burning metal rod in front of her, "would you like to tell me where the Apple of Eden is, Assassin?" Desi had tears in her eyes._

"_I swear to you, I know not of this Apple!" Her voice wavered and by this point she didn't care. The Templar swaggered forward, his eyes glinting vilely._

"_I beg to differ," he said, bringing the rod closer to her face. She flinched away, scared beyond all possibility._

"_No…" she begged. "I don't know, I swear… No!-" The Templar placed the glowing end of the rod squarely to her chest. She screamed in agony-_

And then Shaun was there, his usually mocking expression one of mild concern. She had been terrified and had leapt away, falling from the bed. After her mind caught up with everything, she'd thrown herself into his arms, trembling but not crying. Humiliation heated her cheeks now as she thought about how she had exposed her weakness in that moment when Shaun had tried to leave. She wasn't sure what else she could have done, but she certainly wasn't happy that anyone - especially Shaun, the British jerk who couldn't stand her - had seen her like that, completely vulnerable and open to attack. Then she had _asked him to stay._ She didn't know which surprised her more, that she had the balls to ask him to stay or that he had the balls to say yes. Either way, Desi felt so energized and well-rested that she wondered how she had ever managed to forgo sleep.

After Desi dressed and brushed her hair, she walked to the sanctuary, suddenly tempted to whistle like a cartoon character. The idea had her smiling as she approached the table, tucked in an out-of-the-way corner of the round room, that was generally used for eating. Rebecca sat on one side with a bowl of off-brand Fruit Loops, joined by Shaun, whose hand possessively held a mug of black coffee. They both looked up at her approach, and Shaun quickly adverted his eyes. Desi pretended that it didn't make her feel like a total basket case.

"Hey, Becca," she said cheerfully, taking the seat at the table that was closest. She said nothing to Shaun.

Rebecca looked at Desi, a spoon of brightly-colored, sugary rings halfway to her mouth. "Hey. You seem… cheerful this morning."

"Yeah," she said, turning her head slightly to address both Rebecca and Shaun. "I had a good night's sleep last night. First time in forever." She made eye contact with Shaun for just a second before looking back to Rebecca. It was the closest Desi could get to a 'thank you', and she hoped that Shaun could see it as such. A small nod from the corner of her eye told her he did. Rebecca didn't seem to notice.

"That's great, Desi. Lucy was getting worried about you." Rebecca's tone said what she didn't: _Lucy was getting worried about you, and so was I_. Desi jumped at the chance to change the subject.

"Speaking of Lucy, where is she?" Desi asked, getting up to go rummage through the sad little pile of food options.

"She went to the store about an hour ago. She should be back any minute." Rebecca went back to eating her kids cereal. Desi settled on a plain bagel for breakfast, paired with a glass of milk.

_How nutritious! _she thought with fake excitement. She couldn't help but notice what one good night's sleep had done for her mood. Here she'd thought that it was the whole "End-of-the-world-is-at-hand-and-apparently-the-best-person-to-stop-it-is-you-bartender-so-get-to-work" deal that had her mood at about the same depth as the Mariana Trench. Nope! All she needed was some sleep.

_God, if I had known that it was that simple…_

But as she sat down at the tiny eating table again, Desi knew it wasn't simple. Not even. Last night was a one-time thing. Her pride and Shaun's obvious dislike made sure of that. No way on God's Green Earth - the quote from her high school Algebra teacher made her smile humorlessly - was she going to ask Shaun to sleep next to her again. Even more unlikely was Shaun volunteering. Nope, Desi was just going to have to deal with things like a big girl; grow a pair and smile for everyone.

Because, really, what else could she do? _"Hey, Desi, you okay?" "Oh, sure, I only dreamed that I was tortured with a hot iron bar last night. I only dreamed that one of my ancestors had a sword stabbed through his shoulder because the Templars wanted the Apple of Eden. I only dreamed that a Templar put a red-hot rod of metal on my cheek last night because my ancestor didn't know what the hell the Apple of Eden was. I only dreamed it, so even though it felt like I was dying right there with the poor soul, no, sure, I'm peachy."_

Bull.

Lucy walked in just as Desi took the last bite of her bagel and Shaun drank the last few drops of his coffee. Becca had long since finished eating and has taken to toying with Baby.

"Hi, guys," she said, arms full of groceries. Desi rose from her chair and went to help, Shaun with her.

"Hey, Lucy!"

"Good morning, Lucy."

Becca made due with waving from the floor next to the Animus.

Lucy passed some of the groceries off to Desi and Shaun. "So what's going on, guys? Is something wrong with the Animus?" This last part was directed at Rebecca. The technician shook her head.

"Nah, I'm just tweaking a few things. The data in the memory core is supposed to be unencrypted. There are some strands of coding, though… It shouldn't affect Desi's sessions, either way. I'm just working to work." She picked herself off the floor as the trio deposited the groceries with the remnants of the last shopping trip. Lucy nodded.

"As long as nothing's broken. We don't have much time." Even though it was nowhere near being directed at Desi, she still felt a sense of guilt and irritation. She knew that time was running short, and she knew that it was up to her to "save the world", but how much could one person be expected to deal with?

"Right. Well, we're ready when you are, Lucy," Shaun volunteered. Desi had to fight the urge to knee him in the balls. Hard. She wanted to scream at him, _You saw what this machine has done to me! You saw it for yourself last night! You saw what my mind is like now! You saw me like that, and you're still ready to volunteer me? _She was angry, but part of her was disappointed. Like she had any right or reason to expect some semblance of concern from him. Hmph.

Lucy turned to Desi. "You ready to get to work, Desi?"

Desi smiled. "Sure, Lucy."

…

**Shaun**

Ugh. He looked at Desmond, laying on the Animus, body relaxed. The look on Rebecca's face told him that whatever Ezio was doing, Desmond shouldn't have any problems later. He didn't know what that thought meant for him.

After all, she had been clearly furious with him for telling Lucy that they were ready to start. She had tried to hide it, but he'd caught the way her body tensed and the dark, murderous glare she'd thrown his way. And who could blame her? Look at what he saw last night. He knew it was caused by the Animus, and he'd told Lucy she was ready anyway. He should feel horrible.

And he did feel guilty. Contrary to popular belief, he did have emotions and he did care. He did wish that the girl didn't have to sit around and slowly lose her mind. He did wish that they all had happy, normal lives. He did wish that it was all over. But wishing didn't stop the Templars from hunting them. Wishing didn't stop the end of the world. That's how he was justified in doing what he did.

Rebecca's chair squeaked and Desmond let out a short, low growl. Shaun looked over to the pair. Rebecca was sitting straighter in her seat, watching her screen intently. Desmond's body was almost as relaxed as before, but her eyebrows were pulled together, forming a little frown between them.

"What's going on?" asked Lucy from her computers. Rebecca shook her head.

"Just running from some guards, I think. Ezio was stupid. Desi shou-" Rebecca was interrupted by Desmond letting out a soft yelp, hand twitching towards her thigh. Rebecca returned every bit of her concentration to the screen before her.

"Don't worry, guys. It's all under control." Rebecca didn't look up when she spoke, and Lucy and Shaun went back to their work.

…

**Desi**

Desi came out of the Animus, head fuzzy. The shapes of the room blurred in and out of focus before slowly taking shape. Lucy was at Rebecca's usual spot. Desi shook her head to clear it.

"Welcome back, Desi. How are you feeling?"

"Meh. About as good as usual, I guess. Where's Rebecca?"

"We let her take care of dinner. Well, most of it." At that very moment a scent drifted into the sanctuary that made Desi's mouth water like the Pacific Ocean.

"Bacon!" she cried with child-like joy. Lucy laughed.

"Obviously, Shaun had to cook that. But you can thank Becca for the overall idea."

"Carnivores!" Becca accused from the side room used for a kitchen of sorts. Desi laughed and stood from the Animus. She and Lucy walked towards the little eating table together. Shaun stepped out of the kitchen, heading towards the girls.

Only now it was Leonardo who stood in front of Desi, not Shaun. He smiled at Desi like old friends do.

"Ezio, my friend! To what do I owe the pleasure?" He made to hug Desi, but she took step back. He seemed unaffected.

"Leonardo, what are you doing here?" she said with Ezio's voice. Leo laughed.

"Well, this is my workshop, _si_? Oh, my, perhaps I forgot to tell you I moved. _Mi dispiace_, Ezio. I see so little of you, what with your journeys and all." Normally Ezio would have expected an accusatory tone, but Leonardo's voice held only excitement at seeing his old friend. Ezio smiled, a little sadly.

"I know, Leo, I know. I do so miss Firenze. My work, however, calls me elsewhere… Am I welcome to come in?"

"Of course, my friend! Come, come, get out of the cold." Leo ushered Ezio inside his workshop, which was delightfully warm and smelled of paint and wood and canvas and everything else Ezio associated with his old friend, the artist and inventor. A hand touched Ezio's shoulder, and he turned to see Leonardo, his face one of concern.

"Ezio, are you alright?" Ezio looked at Leo, confused.

"_Si_, Leo. What do you mean?"

"No, Desmond. I'm not Leonardo." Leo's lips moved, but the voice that spoke was not his and the words were not his. Panic started to build in Ezio's chest.

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, Desmond. Snap out of it. You're in the sanctuary. It's the year twenty-twelve. You're name is Desmond Miles. You go be Desi. You're a twenty-six-year-old girl. You were a bartender…" The voice rambled on and part of Ezio that wasn't Ezio grabbed on to the words, willing them to take her back. Leo's face started to fade, replaced with the black-rimmed glasses of Shaun. She stared up at him for a minute before she said tentatively, "Shaun?"

"There you go. I'm Shaun. Who are you?"

"I'm… I'm E-Ez- No, I'm not. I'm Desi. I'm Desi. Right?" Shaun nodded.

"Yes, you are. You're Desmond Miles. Where are you?"

This question almost sent her back to the Bleeding Effect. "I-I'm where Ezio lived. In Monteriggioni. We're in the sanctuary. I'm… Rebecca was making dinner." She paused, then looked Shaun directly in the eye. "You made bacon." Shaun almost laughed.

"Yeah, I did. Go tell Rebecca I said that you get bacon." Shaun watched Desmond walk away and then turned his attention to Lucy.

"This isn't going to work. We're going to lose her before we stop them."

Lucy stared back at Shaun, probably remembering Clay Kaczmarek, Subject 16. "I know, Shaun. If things keep going like they are…" She shook her head. "That's why you're in charge of her."

"Excuse me?" Shaun demanded incredulously. "She's a grown up! She doesn't need a babysitter."

"Yes, she does, Shaun. You just brought her out of the Bleeding Effect. You're now in charge of her. I want you to keep an eye on her at all times. If she starts hallucinating, do something. She seemed in a better mood than ever this morning. I don't know what you did, but I know it had something to do with you. Keep doing it."

Shaun looked over his shoulder to the two dark-haired girls sitting at the table, a wrap on each plate. Desmond still a slightly dazed look on her face. Shaun sighed in resignation.

"Fine. I'll watch over her." He was surprised as Lucy threw her arms around his neck and squeezed.

"Thank you, Shaun." She let go and walked away, towards the table. Shaun watched her go and sighed again.

_What the bloody hell did I just get myself into?_

…

…

…

**So yeah, POV change there without notice. I had to get that last part in, but it only flowed right if I transitioned like I did. Sorry, but it had to be done.**

**Thanks for reading, R&R if you'd be so kind :3**


	3. Closer

_**Holy heck, guys. Sorry for the (extremely) slow update, but life kicked me in the teeth recently. I still haven't found all my broken teeth. (Metaphor, friends, metaphor) I'll do everything in my power to update weekly, though. Thanks for staying with me, if you're still there.**_

As the night drifted in and it got later and later, Shaun couldn't help but notice that Desmond lingered around him more and more. He could tell by the way she acted that it was subconscious. The later it got, the more time she spent in his indirect company. When it got towards midnight, Rebecca stood and left for bed. In a few minutes, Desmond sat in Rebecca's unoccupied chair, a mere five feet from Shaun. She doodled absently on a notepad, her eyes focused on something far away. He glanced at her continuously from the corner of his eye. He was acutely aware of his new assignment, and the unfocused look in Desmond's eyes was concerning.

At around two in the morning, Lucy stood from her computers, yawning and stretching. "I'm going to bed, guys. Don't stay up too late." She left the sanctuary, massaging her lower back. Shaun watched her go, then looked at Desmond. She was looking after Lucy, her strangely-colored golden-shade-of-brown eyes clear and focused. She had pulled her long dark hair back into a ponytail sometime earlier.

Shaun looked back to his computers, fingers flying sporadically over the keys. He was tired, and he wanted to go to bed, but he refused to let himself leave Desmond out here by herself. He had until very recently been unaware of her nightmares. How that was possible, he still didn't know. Surely he couldn't sleep through her screams every night? The idea that it was possible made him shudder inside. What if the Templars had found them in the night? If the girls had screamed for help, would he have even heard? He was the only male around, and call him old fashioned, but he saw himself in the protector role. Lucy could undoubtedly handle herself, and so could Rebecca, and Desmond probably could, but he wasn't going to let them get in a position that required them to prove it.

A soft cough to his right pulled his attention to Desmond. She sat cross-legged in the chair - how was that possible? - with the pad of paper in her lap and the pen loosely in her hand. Her chin rested on her chest, and it took Shaun a minute to realize that she was asleep. She had fallen asleep in that uncomfortable chair, probably waiting for Shaun to go to bed. Part of him felt guilty.

Desmond let out a soft whine and the fingers on her right hand tightened briefly. Shaun saw what was coming and he quickly rose and went to her side.

"Hey, Desmond," he said quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking gently. "Oi. Come on, now. Wake up." Desmond's head rose slightly and Shaun saw her eyes half-open sleepily. "Come on. You can't sleep in that chair. Go to bed, Desmond."

Desmond looked at him in confusion for a second. "Des…?" Suddenly she jerked upright in her chair and looked frantically about the room. Shaun stumbled back a step, and her eyes - now tinged electric blue from her Eagle Vision - zeroed in on him. Suddenly her face softened from its predatory look and she sighed.

"Ugh," she said, rubbing her eyes. When they opened again, they were their usual chocolate-overlaid-with-honey-and-gold-streaks-like-that's-bloody-possible color. "I'm not usually that tired."

"You've had enough for one day. Come on, let's go to bed." Desmond stared at him with an impossible expression before she nodded and stood stiffly. Shaun escorted her to her room and then went to his. He undressed and put in his lounging pants and crawled into bed. He planned to stay up a while and listen for Desmond, but he was out in a few minutes.

…

…

When Shaun woke up, he glanced at his alarm clock blearily. 3:46 a.m.. He rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but something kept nudging his conscious. He groggily tried to grasp it before he suddenly bolted upright in bed.

_Desmond._

Shaun rose from his bed and hurried to get a shirt on. He went to Desmond's room. He stood outside her door, listening. Nothing. He turned the doorknob - not locked, thankfully - and peered inside.

Desmond's bed was almost directly across the room from the doorway, the headboard against the far wall. The blankets were a mess, tangles and rumpled and thrown halfway off the bed. The sheets were bunched and creased. Desmond was gone.

Shaun cursed under his breath and hurried down the hall, his heart hammering. _Where was she? Where could she have gone?_ Shaun entered the sanctuary, finding it empty. He searched the kitchen room. It, too, was empty. Panic started to fill Shaun's chest. He climbed the stairs and entered Mario Auditore's study. There was to trace of Desmond. He left the study and searched all over the villa for the next God knows how long. She was nowhere. Panic and dread and worry and guilt flooded Shaun so hard he had to catch his breath. He was just looking after a twenty-six-year-old girl, for the love of all that is holy! She was just _one girl_. Where had she gone?

Shaun ran in a desperate search for the girl towards the rest of Monteriggioni. He went immediately to the business district - anywhere else and she would have been spotted already. He searched around stores and family-owned businesses. One explanation was blaring in his head huge red letters: ABSTERGO HAS HER. It was a silent alarm that had his heart hammering and racing in his chest while his stomach disappeared. He passed by a row of warehouses - and he heard it. A soft whining-whimper of a terrified girl. He ran between the rows of warehouses, listening again, afraid to call out in case it was Abstergo that had her. He heard it again, and followed the strangled noise to a warehouse in the center, clearly abandoned. He opened one of the bay doors silently, and saw no one. The whining-whimpering continued. Shaun opened the door more and ran inside, looking for Desmond. He couldn't see her. Another whimper brought his attention to the ceiling. There, on one of the thin metal rafters thirty feet up, perched Desmond, her face pale even in the darkness. She was on her belly, clinging desperately to the rafter, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She was In her pajamas.

"Desmond," called Shaun, looking up with concern. Desmond jumped so hard at his voice that she nearly slipped from the rafter. Terror flashed through Shaun and Desmond screamed for a brief second before she tightened her grip even further.

"Desmond, how did you get up there?" Shaun asked. Desmond shook her head, long hair waving.

"I… I don't remember. You walked me to my room, I went to bed. I don't remember falling asleep… but then I was someone else… and then I woke up here!"

"Why don't you climb down? You climbed up."

Desmond shook her head again. "No, I didn't." Shaun understood her meaning. Her body had climbed up there, but her mind had had nothing to do with it. Someone else, an ancestor, had brought her up there.

"Can't you find your own way down?" Desmond said something too low for Shaun to hear. "What?"

"I'm afraid of heights, okay? I'm _ter-ri-fied_ of heights." She pronounced each syllable in _terrified _individually and prominently. Understanding hit Shaun like a bus. How was she supposed to get down? Shaun looked around her.

"Desmond? Try to stand up, will you?" Desmond opened her eyes to look at Shaun with disbelief.

"Are you crazy?" she demanded. Shaun tried to keep his cool.

"Desmond, your muscles have a thing called muscle memory. They will remember how to do the things your ancestors could do. Your body knows how to keep your balance. Now try, please." Shaun stood, staring at Desmond, willing her to move. She gave him a long, impossible stare. Then she slowly and gingerly raised herself to her knees, then even more slowly to her feet. Even though she stooped to lower her center of gravity, Shaun was entranced at the smooth motion of her muscles. Even from thirty feet below, he could watch her body move in fluid motions. Desmond looked down to him.

"Now what?" She asked, clearly afraid. Shaun shrugged.

"Use your Eagle Vision, I'd assume. Find a way down." Desmond nodded, and she turned to look around, her Eagle Vision surely highlighting a way down. Shaun knew when she found it, because she slowly moved towards another rafter. Shaun watched her with growing interest. Her motions were graceful when she leaped, smooth and controlled as she kept her balance, and fluid and strong and she found a way to climb down the wall. When her feet touched the ground, Desmond sank to her knees and collapsed to the floor. Fear struck at Shaun and he ran to her. He dropped to his knees next to her.

"Are you okay?" Shaun asked, searching for any visible signs of damage. Desmond nodded.

"I'm okay," she said, body and voice shaking hard. She put her arm over eyes in what Shaun knew was an attempt to disguise her weakness. Shaun pretended he didn't notice.

"We'll stay here until you're ready to go." Shaun put his hand on her forehead before he realized what he was doing. When his mind caught up with his actions, he stiffened and looked down at Desmond. She didn't seem to disagree, and it wasn't like he could take it back now, anyway. So he sat there, his hand on her forehead in an awkwardly friendly gesture of comfort. When Desmond stopped trembling, Shaun let her lay a few moments longer to gather her composure. Eventually, she removed her arms from her eyes. Shaun followed suit. Desmond sat up experimentally, and then rose to her feet. Shaun did the same and started for the door. Desmond followed closely behind.

"Come on, it's this way," Shaun said when Desmond started to drift away. She glanced around before recognition flashed in her eyes.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

Shaun nodded and pulled her closer to him by her wrist. She was now arms length away. They started off again toward the villa, the night time cool and silent. Nothing was said, but Desmond slowly drifted closer and closer to Shaun. By the time they reached the doorway to the sanctuary, their arms were almost touching.

Shaun didn't mind.

They entered the hallway and for the second time Shaun walked Desmond to her room. She opened the door, and Shaun awkwardly stood in the doorway before making up his mind.

"Would you like some company? You know, in case you sleep walk again?" It was far from his usual smooth way of talking, but Desmond didn't seem to notice - that or she didn't care. She instead smiled at him.

"I would, actually. We're in our pajamas anyway." She climbed into her bed, leaving Shaun to close the door and crawl in after her. He laid as far on the other side of the bed as possible. Desmond didn't seem to mind, but to Shaun it all felt bloody awkward. But he soon heard soft feminine snores from the other side of the bed, and that was good enough. She needed some sleep. Shaun did too, and he was out only minutes after Desmond.


	4. Secrets

Shaun sat at his computer, busily typing a message to one of the field teams. He glanced at Desmond, lying on the Animus. She looked to be in a deep sleep. Her hair, long and dark and silky, was in a high ponytail today. She was dressed in her favorite pair of jeans - the ones she wore almost constantly - and her black shirt with an eagle design and that infernal white and red hoodie of hers. Her eyes and her slow, deep breathing were the only things that showed signs of life; her eyes flickered around behind her lids, watching scenes that had played out over six hundred years ago. Shaun turned back to his screens when Rebecca looked up.

"Hey, Lucy," she said. "I thought we had a shopping trip today."

"We did," Lucy agreed, "but I reconsidered. We went only three weeks ago and- Oh." Lucy suddenly changed tracks as understanding dawned on her face. "Yeah, we can go today. Do you want to leave Des in, or can Shaun look after her?"

"I do believe I am perfectly capable of watching after the girl," Shaun snapped. Then friendlier, he added, "Rebecca's taught me about the Animus. I'd say I'm the second-most qualified to handle the machine, after Becca."

Lucy looked unconvinced, but Rebecca told her, "I'm okay with it, Lucy. He wasn't kidding. I've taught him how to manage it. The only thing he can't do is code, and that's not an issue unless you're putting her in or dealing with new memories. He'll be fine." Lucy looked satisfied with Rebecca's endorsement, and she nodded and grabbed her jacket.

"Alright. Shaun, you know the drill. We'll be back soon." She and Rebecca left. Shaun looked to Desmond and sighed. He put the message in his draft box and closed down his computer, opting for Rebecca's usual spot. He sat down and looked at the screen. Ezio was talking to a man who had apparently been beaten. Shaun frowned. _He knew that face from somewhere_… Suddenly it hit Shaun. That was Manfredo, Christina's fiancé. That meant -

"Poor bloke," said Shaun sympathetically. Then he looked to Desmond, who had a look on her face that told him everything. Even though her body appeared to be asleep, her eyebrows were drawn closer together and her mouth had a downward curve to the corners. "Poor girl." He returned his gaze to the screen, where Ezio had just discovered the dying Christina. Desmond made a soft, short whine. Shaun watched as Ezio carried her, told her that she would be fine, and as she told him that she didn't think so. He watched their final conversation, watched Christina pull his old necklace from the neckline of her dress, watched her die in his arms.

"No…" Desmond murmured. Her face looked troubled. Shaun sighed and waited until the memory completed itself before he brought her out.

Desmond sat up, rubbing her face. Shaun could see her working for composure. He could see the unshed tears glittering in her eyes, could see the muscles in her chest working to keep her breathing even, could see the muscles in her jaw straining to keep her from making any kind of noise. Shaun gave her the privacy he could, pretending to be absorbed in the routine Animus code on the screen, code he couldn't even read. After two minutes, she spoke.

"Where is everybody?" Her voice was curious, and it brought back all kinds of memories and feelings that Shaun was trying hard to forget. In those three weeks between the sleepwalking incident and now, Shaun had developed a very not-platonic caring for this girl. He cared for her in a different way than he cared for Rebecca and Lucy. Lucy was like his sister, and Rebecca was a very close friend. Desmond was… different. He didn't want just friendship with her. It scared him. He wasn't used to feeling like this about anyone, let alone the girl he wasn't able to stand a month ago. What was worse was he saw the way she avoided him, the way she didn't like to make eye contact with him. She didn't even want to talk to him, let alone anything else. It made being her keeper rather difficult. That night as he led her back to the sanctuary, he first felt some kind of affection towards her. He thought she had, too, because of… he wasn't sure. No matter what he thought, she didn't like him, and that was just sad. Because that was just his luck.

"Earth to Hastings," Desmond said, bringing his attention to her again. "Any one home? I asked where Rebecca and Lucy are."

"They had to go to the store. I think Rebecca needed something."

Desmond counted quickly on her fingers, "Yeah, you'd be right. It should be about time."

"What are you talking about?"

Desmond seemed to realize that Shaun couldn't understand all the esoteric references. "Um, it's… just nevermind, Shaun. It's a girl thing." Shaun drew his own conclusions and shut up immediately. It was silent for a minute.

"You know what?" Desmond said suddenly. "You know what we should get?"

"Hmm, what?"

"Some playing cards."

"Really?"

"Sure. I mean, for when half of us are gone on a shopping trip or something. Just a timewaster."

Shaun considered this. "That's not a bad idea, actually. Though, I do have work to do." Shaun rose from Rebecca's seat and went to his, booting up his computer and opening his draft file. Suddenly, the message didn't seem all that important.

_**Des**_

Desi watched Shaun type away at his computer, the light glaring off his glasses. She sighed internally.

He was just so _uninterested _in her! That night three weeks ago, when Shaun had found her in the warehouse, she'd thought that maybe they could become friends. But the want-to-be-friends thing had quickly turned into more, and now she didn't know what to do with herself. She hadn't been able to make eye contact with him since then without looking away hurriedly. She could barely talk to him for the butterflies that made themselves at home in her abdomen when he spoke to her. She was a mess, and she hated it. Three weeks of hiding had been torture, and she wasn't going to keep it up. She was going to say something tonight, regardless of the consequences.

She just hoped they could at least keep speaking to each other.

…

It was only about half an hour later that Lucy and Rebecca came in. Rebecca carried a single white plastic bag that she took down the hall, towards the bedrooms and bathroom. Lucy had miscellaneous groceries in her arms, just two bags. Shaun was working on his computer, and Desi was tidying what little there was to tidy. Lucy greeted the pair and set the groceries with the other foodstuffs.

"How far did we get today?" she asked, removing her jacket.

"Christina died."

"The field team in Moscow, Stalingrad, and St. Petersburg are located." The two spoke simultaneously. They looked at each other and then looked away. Desi felt the butterflies again and cursed herself. Lucy didn't seem to notice.

"Okay. Why don't you two make dinner, since Becca and I had to go get it?" Lucy said good-humouredly. Desi nodded.

"Sure, I'm up for that," she said, stubbornly trying to ignore the fact that she and Shaun would be in the tiny kitchen side-room alone together.

"Shaun, how about it?"

"Fine, why not?" he answered grouchily. Desi fought the urge to stand up and punch him. _Just because you don't like me doesn't mean you have to be a jerk, _she thought angrily. What annoyed her more was that even though she was angry, the butterfly feeling stayed, and that was just wrong.

Desi got up and stalked quickly towards the kitchen. "Come on, Shaun, we have work to do," she said hotly. Behind her she heard Lucy say softly, "What did you do to her?"

"I don't know!" Shaun answered. "It's not like she wants to talk to me." Desi set to getting everything out for some kind of awful thirty-minute vegetable soup. _Vegetarian assassin. Becca, how do you live?_ she thought. Her attention was brought back to the argument in the other room be Lucy's voice.

"Why won't she talk to you? I thought she liked you?" _Hmpf. Like he knows. Or cares, actually._

"I don't know. I mean, I thought she did. Heaven knows that I like her enough for the two of us." Desi nearly dropped her pan. _He what? _No, that was impossible. He didn't even talk to her, really. But, neither did she… Well, if it was true, it would make her plan a lot easier.

In a few minutes, Shaun walked in, looking stormy. Desi pretended not to notice.

"Took you long enough. Start cutting up this onion." Desi slid an onion half his way. He looked at it in disgust.

"Surely, you're joking."

"No. I'm dealing with these carrots. Cut that onion." Desi turned to her carrots, slicing them into circular pieces. Shaun stared her down.

"I refuse to touch that vile vegetable. It has no place in any sane person's presence. You do it." _I thought so._

Desi whirled to face him. "Just cut the thing, Shaun. It won't kill you." He continued to glare at her, and she huffed. "Shaun, it's a _plant_! Be a man and cut it." She stepped forward until she was almost touching him. He looked down at her with a foreign look in his eyes. "_Do it_."

He spoke loudly, angrily. "You do it, if it's so important!"

She matched him in volume. "It just an _onion, _Shaun!"

"I know what is, thanks!"

"Cut the onion!"

"Why should I?"

"_This!"_ she shouted, and grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him. He went rigid with shock for a moment, and then he was kissing her back. His hands went to her waist and her hands grasped his shirt. When they broke apart, they stared at each other for a long time.

"How long have you wanted to do that?" he asked quietly. She smiled at him.

"Since that night you found me in the warehouse. You?"

"Yeah. Yeah, the same. I didn't think you could stand me. You never talked to me, you avoided me…"

"You weren't exactly falling all over me, either. I thought you hung around because Lucy told you to."

"That doesn't matter." He paused. "Would you like company tonight? Like I did that first night I heard you? I'll sleep on one edge, and you on the other? I've been neglecting my duties lately." He rubbed his thumb across the bruise-like circles under her eyes. She nodded, and hugged him.

"Yes, please. I kinda like sleeping." Shaun _hmm_ed guiltily and Desi stepped back. "We need to finish this soup, you know."

Shaun _humpf_ed. "Yeah, I guess we do."

Desi never had a better vegetable soup.


	5. Leaving

_**Ugh! So sorry, guys, but my Internet was down for the longest time. This is the first time I've been able to get on in a month**_ _**. I'm really sorry about the wait, guys, honestly. With that said, please enjoy this new chapter.**_

Desi woke up from a decent sleep, stretching. Shaun was already gone, but that was normal. Since he has began sleeping in the same bed as her, she had gone to sleep with his warm, solid, calming presence on the other side of the bed and had woken up alone. She didn't mind; she understood why he did it that way. He got earlier than Lucy and went to his room to change into his actual clothes so no one caught him leaving her room in his pajamas. Things would be assumed and who knew what Lucy would do if she suspected that Shaun and Desi were sleeping together. Desi laughed quietly at the mental image of Lucy harping on the two of them as she shouted about the risks to their objectivity and the mission and blah blah blah.

Desi got out of bed, showered, got dressed, and walked down towards the sanctuary. As she neared the entrance she heard hushed voices hissing at each other, arguing. She paused, trying to make out the words. It sounded like Shaun was arguing with one of the girls, but Desi couldn't make out which one. She sighed, gathering herself, and then stepped quickly into the sanctuary, making sure her shoes tapped audibly on the floor.

"Hey, Rebecca," she said cheerfully. The dark-haired technician smiled.

"Hey, Des," she answered, waving. Desi waved back and turned towards the kitchenette as Shaun and Lucy exited. Neither looked happy, but Desi took the apologetic shrug Rebecca directed at Shaun to mean that he had lost the argument, whatever it may have been.

"Morning, guys," Desi said quietly as Shaun and Lucy walked in her direction to take their seats at their stations. Lucy smiled and waved as she walked by, but Shaun only looked away angrily. Desi grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. He turned to face her. His blue eyes were stormy and his expression was not inviting.

"Hey," she said softly, "what happened? What's wrong?"

Shaun glared into the distance over her shoulder. After a moment he closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'll tell you later."

Desi gave a long look. "No, Shaun. I want to know now."

Shaun finally made eye contact with her. "I will tell you, I promise, but later. Let's do what we have to do today and then we can talk, alright? Now go get something to eat." His voice was soft, and his eyes looked straight into Desi's. Finally she nodded.

"Alright. As long as you promise to tell me." She let go of his arm and he walked towards his tack board. She followed him with her eyes a moment before she went into the kitchenette and grabbed an apple. She came back out and bit into the fruit, leaning in the doorway to watch everyone. Lucy was presumably working to get into Abstergo's database. Shaun was probably corresponding with one or two of the field teams. Becca was most likely trying to unencrypted more of the data files. Desi wondered about the future. Where would everyone go when this was all over?

Shaun would probably buy himself a nice flat in London and become a history professor again.

Lucy would finally find herself a nice guy she deserved and settle down and have the most adorable kids and do what she wanted.

Becca would finally go home and see her family and dog again and get back into snowboarding.

_But what would I do?_ Desi thought about the Bleeding Effect, how she could lose touch with reality for ten minutes at a time, how, even though Shaun kept her company, she still sometimes had nightmares, how all of that was only getting worse. She thought of Subject 16. The realization was gut-wrenching.

She probably wouldn't be around to see the end.

Desi eyed the Animus resentfully. _That _would be the thing to take her away from her life. The machine that was necessary to the survival of Earth was also the machine that was taking her mind away from her. It wasn't fair, but she understood why it was, in some light, okay.

_Does the good of the few outweigh the good of the many?_

The answer, of course, was no. If one person dying would save a planet, that one person was to die without looking back. He or she was to throw himself or herself off the cliff and sacrifice everything. Except that with the Bleeding Effect, throwing yourself off the cliff was more like falling and sliding down the rock face. It was a slow, agonizing process that took time, slowly stealing parts of you away until you weren't you anymore.

"Hey, Des," Rebecca said, ripping her attention to the here and now. "Are you done with that apple or are you going to eat the core, too?" Her laughing tone was so at odds with what Desi felt right now, but she smiled anyway.

"Yeah. I'll throw it away and then we can get started." She tossed the core of the apple into the trash in the kitchenette and walked over the Animus. She laid down on the red cushions and watched Rebecca sick the needle into her arm. She was out in seconds.

…

…

…

Desi came out slowly, her mind still clinging to Firenze. Flashes of stone buildings and brightly dressed pedestrians flashed in her vision, and her ears caught the sounds of talking crowds and doctors calling for the ill.

"_Perche deve essere per le strade cosi forte_?" she asked to no one in particular. When everything went silent she looked around hurriedly.

"_Cosa? Qual e il problema?" _she demanded. She noted their faces. The dark-haired girl looked on sadly, her eyes teary. The man had a pained expression, as though he was injured. The blonde woman looked determined, even if she was trembling.

"Desi," the blonde girl said, rising from her chair and crossing the room. A flash of recognition hit Ezio as he looked around; this was his uncle's sanctuary in Monteriggioni! What were these people doing here?

_Because you're here with Shaun, Rebecca, and Lucy_, Desi told herself, holding on to reality for a second, before she slipped away.

"Desi, what year is it?" the blonde asked, getting eye level with Ezio. He glared at her; his English was terrible.

"What?" he asked. The blonde looked up when the man called her name.

"Lucy, let me try," he said and walked quickly to stand in front of Ezio. He bent and looked Ezio in the eye.

"Desmond, I know you're in there. I know that Ezio was straight than a pole when it came to his love life. I'm hoping that what I'm about to do will shock you into yourself. Just don't kill me when you come back." Ezio stared at the man in confusion.

"What are -" Ezio's eyes widened as the man's lips found his own. _Che cosa sta acca-?_

And suddenly she was Desi again, not Ezio or anyone else, and Shaun was kissing her in front of Lucy and Rebecca and _what was going on?_

Desi reflexively jumped back, almost falling off the Animus.

"_What_?" she demanded, automatically touching the back of her left hand to the side of he mouth. "What is this?"

Shaun jerked upright and took a step back, his cheeks flaring. "I had to bring you out somehow!" he said defensively. Lucy watched on with shocked silence while Rebecca was smiling.

"Well, that was interesting," she said, and winked at Desi. Desi nearly died.

Lucy cleared her throat. "Come on, guys. Let's eat dinner and unwind. We need it."

Desi agreed.

…

…

"I'm going to bed," Desi announced at two-thirty in the morning. Shaun glanced at Rebecca and nodded.

"I think I'll go, too. Good night, Rebecca," he said.

"'Night, Becca!"

"'Night, guys," Rebecca said, glancing at Desi. Desi went to her room and changed into her pajamas, a long-sleeved shirt and shorts. She crawled into bed and laid on her right side, away from the rest of the bed. In a few minutes, the door opened, and Shaun stepped into the room.

"Hey," Desi said, rolling over onto her back. Shaun smiled and crawled into bed with Desi, being very mindful of propriety.

"You promised, remember?"

"What are you talking about?" Shaun asked, looking at her.

"You promised to tell me what you and Lucy were arguing about earlier."

Shaun's face adopted an uncomfortable look. "I'm leaving. Tomorrow."

Desi bolted upright and faced Shaun, panicked. "What? Why?"

Shaun sat up, too, looking angry and sad. "I have to meet one of the field teams. I'm the one they're used to communicating with, so I have to go. I'll only be gone a day or two, maybe three."

Desi sat in silence, her hands in her lap, for a long while, her head down, thinking. Without Shaun, the nightmares would come back, and that was almost more than she could take, even for one day.

"Desmond-" Shaun started, but Desi threw her arms around his neck tightly.

"Don't go," she said quietly, her head flashing with images from the nightmares she had before. "Don't do it."

Shaun placed his hands on Desi's back holding her to him. "I wish I didn't have to, Desmond, I really do, but I have to go. I'm sorry." Desi could hear the truthfulness and regret in his voice. She knew he wanted to stay. She needed him to. He was helping her stay. He helped keep the Bleeding Effect from taking her away from herself. Without him…

Desi sighed shakily and shifted, laying down with her head in Shaun's lap.

"If you're leaving tomorrow, I get to sleep here," she said stubbornly. She felt Shaun sigh in exasperation, and in a few minutes he laid down on his back to sleep. Desi moved up and laid her head on his chest, her right hand next to her face. Shaun absently stroked her hair, and in a few minutes, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

…

_**Shaun**_

Shaun laid there listening to Desmond's even breathing. Her head was a warm, comforting weight on his chest. She shifted, and Shaun raised his head to look at her. She had drawn her right hand into a loose fist in front of her mouth, her thumb resting on her slightly-parted lips. Small feminine snores escaped from them. She was adorable.

Shaun laid his head down, slowly stroking her hair, and slid into a deep sleep.

…

When Shaun woke, he knew immediately that something was wrong. Desmond's beside clock told him that it was 4:03 a.m.. He felt around on the table for his glasses and slid them on. He looked at the empty bed and the dark room and tried to put the pieces together. All at once he jerked his head to his right hard enough to cause pain.

The bed was empty.

Desmond was gone.


	6. Injured

Shaun jumped out of bed, his heart pounding. _Where could she be?_ he thought. _Where could she go?_ He walked as quickly and quietly as he could down the hall and into the sanctuary. Everything was dark and silent. Shaun forced himself to take a deep breath. This had once happened before, and Lucy had made it very clear to him that it would happen again. She'd told him she had almost lost count of all the times she had found Subject Sixteen in the floor in front of the door to his room, mumbling in foreign languages, or found him walking a hole in his floor, seemingly confused about his surroundings. Lucy had made it painfully clear that the same thing would happen to Desmond. There was no stopping it, so long as Desmond had to use the Animus.

_Maybe she's in that warehouse again?_ Shaun thought as he turned for the stairs and hurried up to Mario Auditore's study. She wasn't there, and Shaun hurried on, walking with long, purposeful strides, fighting the urge to call out for her.

The air outside was warm from the rays of the long-gone summer sun. The town below was quiet, the windows dark, everyone asleep. From the steps of the villa, Shaun could see the warehouses where Desmond had gone before. He set of quickly in that direction, keeping his eyes and ears open for any sign of the missing girl.

Shaun ran through the possibilities in his head. The warehouse, or any other empty building in the business district. Running across the rooftops. She hopefully hadn't made it past the walls. There was one possibility that was nearly impossible, and highly improbable, but it found its way to Shaun's mind and his racing heart: Abstergo. _If it was Abstergo, you wouldn't be breathing_, Shaun reminded himself as he neared the warehouses. He looked inside every single one of them, his surprise growing with every vacant structure. He had been counting on her being in one of them. Fear shot through him like ice water in his veins. _Where could she be_?

Shaun ran to the storefronts, checking everywhere that he could think of, only to emerge alone. Panic had his hands trembling, his breath coming in short puffs. He was afraid for Desmond, afraid she had disappeared for good, and he couldn't stop her name from slipping past his lips.

"Desmond!" he shouted, hoping beyond hope that she could hear him. "Desmond!" Shaun turned and ran towards the gate to Monteriggioni, ready to search for the girl outside the walls. "Desmond!"

Shaun whipped his head around as a scream shattered the silence. He stopped dead in his tracks, frozen, heart pounding in his ears, listening for something to tell him where the noise had come from. Another scream pierced his ears, coming from the direction of the villa.

_God, no_, he thought desperately as he raced back towards the villa. _Don't let anything happen to them. Let Rebecca and Lucy be safe. Don't let them be hurt…_ Shaun repeated this mantra - _Let them be safe. Don't let them be hurt._ - over and over again as he ran as fast as he could for the colossal building. Another scream echoed from the villa, and Shaun pumped his legs as hard as possible, his breath almost nonexistent. Shaun's lungs felt like they were the size of a teaspoon, and they burned like they were ablaze. His side had a burning stitch and his thighs felt like he'd never walk again. He paused when he reached the front of the villa, trying to catch his breath. He placed his palms on his knees, trying to drag air into his lungs.

"Shaun!" Shaun jerked upright, his eyes scanning the roof of the villa. There stood Desmond, fear written all over her face as she stared down at him with wide eyes. "Shaun!"

"How… did you… get up there?" he called, gasping for breath. Relief flooded his system: she was okay. She wasn't hurt, and Rebecca and Lucy were still asleep.

"Shaun, help," she whined, wrapping her arms around herself. Shaun remembered her fear of heights.

"Desmond! Are you alright?" Desmond shook her head and fell awkwardly to her knees on the edge of the roof.

"I want down!" she cried, her voice shaking. Shaun looked around for something to help her. All he saw was a wagon of hay. An impossible idea came to his mind.

"Desmond, do you know how to do a Leap of Faith?" He watched as Desmond's eyes widened.

"I can't, Shaun! I can't do that! It's too high."

"Just stand up, can you? Just do that much for me." Desmond eyed him with suspicion before slowly and shakily rising to her feet.

"Now what?" she demanded.

"Jump into the hay," Shaun answered. Desmond flipped him off.

"Shaun, I said _no_-" Shaun watched in slow motion as Desmond stomped her foot, hitting the edge of the roof and slipping. Her balance was thrown to her left and she fell, a scream escaping her. Desmond landed in the wagon of hay, and things snapped back into real-time. He ran to the wagon, where Desmond was whimpering.

"Desmond, are you okay?" he asked as he pulled her from the hay. Desmond shook her head and brought up her right arm. It was bleeding, already spilling a great deal of blood down her hand.

"Ow," she whispered. Shaun took off his pajama shirt and wrapped it tightly around the wound. He took Desmond's left hand and placed it firmly on the shirt.

"Hold this. I'll put stitches in. Come on." Shaun put his arm around Desmond's shoulders and led her inside. In the sanctuary, Shaun sat Desmond in a chair at the tiny eating table and went to fetch the first aid kit from Lucy's desk.

"I'll numb it, okay?" Shaun said as he opened the kit. Inside was all sorts of neatly arranged medical supplies. Shaun grabbed the bottle of anesthetic - he couldn't remember what it was called - and a cloth and began to clean Desmond's arm, numbing it in the process. Desmond made little noise, her eyes still bright with unshed tears. When he was sure her arm was numb, Shaun pulled a needle and thread. Desmond's eyes widened.

"It'll be okay, I promise." Shaun took a deep breath and began to sow the edges of the wound back together. It was a long, deep cut that ran vertically down her forearm. Shaun knew it would take a while to stitch.

"So," he started casually, eyes locked on the work in front of him, "how did you end up on the roof?"

"I… don't know. I mean, I had a dream that I was Ezio again. There was something important up there. Really important. He climbed up there, but he didn't look for it, whatever it was. He just laid down and waited. It was… nice. But something… interrupted him. There was a noise below. He had to protect his family, because he didn't think the noise was one of them. He jumped up and was going to go fight…I… it was confusing. I don't even remember all the details." Shaun felt her eyes on his face and he nodded, trying not to let his concern show through.

"It sounds like something that could have happened. There's not much saying that the man was a heavy sleeper."

"He wasn't. After his father and brothers were murdered, he never slept very deep. He was always on guard." Desmond paused. "I guess being an assassin does that, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"You all sleep like feathers. I guarantee that if I went into the kitchen and threw a glass on the ground, you'd all come running in thinking that Abstergo had broken a window. It's part of being as assassin."

Shaun nodded thoughtfully, surprised that she had noticed little details about him like how he slept. It made him feel… important, somehow.

"Well, there you are," Shaun said, using his teeth to cut the thread. "That should keep, but I'll wrap it up anyway. Don't stretch it, or it'll bleed again. Alright?" Desmond nodded and Shaun took the gauze from the first aid kit and methodically wrapped her arm.

"Are you finished now?" Desmond asked as Shaun packed everything up and put the kit away.

"Yeah, for now. Come on, let's go to bed." Shaun wrapped his arm around Desmond's waist and led her to her bed. He pulled back the blankets and Desmond crawled in, being mindful of her arm. Shaun followed, and Desmond placed her head on his chest as soon as he settled down. Her breathing soon evened out and deepened. Shaun smiled and absently stroked her hair.

"You know what?" he asked her sleeping form. "I love you, Desmond."

"I love you too, Shaun," she answered, and Shaun nearly jumped into the floor while Desmond chuckled sleepily.


	7. Gone

When Desi woke up the next morning, it was to an uncomfortable itching in her arm. She opened her eyes groggily and took a look, white gauze meeting her eyes. She remembered opening the gash in her fall from the villa's roof the night before. She turned to talk to Shaun but, as usual, he was gone. She shook herself and remembered that he was leaving out today.

Desi sprang from the bed and hurriedly dressed and brushed her hair, jogging down the hall to the sanctuary. "Shaun!" she called, coming to a stop just inside the room. Everyone turned to look at her, Shaun's arm around Becca in a half-hug.

"Desmond," Shaun said, leaving Becca to grab his bag. "I was just about to go get you."

"So, she said, and looked around. "You're leaving today." It sounded like a statement.

Shaun coughed awkwardly. "Yeah. D'you... do you want to go on a walk really quick? To talk."

"Yeah," she answered. "That sounds good."

Shaun put his bags down and waited for Desi to catch up to him before he lead them outside to the back of the villa. They walked in the warm sunlight in silence for a while.

Desi sighed. "I wish you didn't have to go."

Shaun nodded and put him arm around her shoulders in an effort to comfort her. "I know, Desmond. I wish I didn't have to either."

It was quiet. Desi fddled with the gauze on her arm.

"Oi, stop that. You'll bother the stitches." Shaun swatted her hand away.

"Shaun, what will I do while you're gone?"

Shaun stopped and wrapped Desi in a tight hug. "I don't know," he said quietly. "I don't know."

"The nightmares, Shaun, I can't. I just got over them and now I have to do it all again-"

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But this has to be done."

"No, I know. I understand. It's fine." Desi stepped back to look him in the eye. "It's for the best, Shaun. You have to go."

Shaun kissed her. "It's just for a little bit. I'll be back before you know it."

"It's dangerous, Shaun. What if something happens to you?"

"I'll be fine, I promise. Lucy and I have made sure that I'll be untraceable, and Rebecca can keep Abstergo off my trail for a while at least. And if I do hit a snag, I can handle myself."

"But Shaun. We need you to come back. If something happens to you, our entire mission is done."

"I'll come back. Promise." Desi nodded and looked away. She scuffed her shoe on the stone. Shaun waited more or less patiently.

"So when do you leave?"

"Ah, I was supposed to be gone ten minutes ago."

Desi looked at him in surprise. "What are you doing here then? You need to go!" She put her hands on his chest and started pushing him back towards the inside. Shaun turned and went willingly, hurring ahead of Desi's outstretched arms.

"Shaun, you have to leave. Now," Lucy said as soon as he came into view. Shaun nodded and grabbed his bags.

"I'm off, then. See you later, girls." He was answered with a chorus of "see you later," and left, disappearing from their sight. The girls stared after him in silence. It was a long moment before Lucy broke the quiet.

She sighed. "I guess we need to get back to work."

Desi and Rebecca nodded. "I guess we do," Desi answered.

"I think you need to go to bed, Desi," Rebecca said quietly. Desi stirred from her doze.

"Huh? Why?" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The clock on Shaun's computer read 2:38.

"Because you're falling asleep in Shaun's chair and I'm sure your bed is a lot more comfortable. Why don't you hit the hay?" Rebecca gave her a reassuring smile.

Desi nodded slowly. "Yeah. I guess it's not a bad idea." Desi got up and stretched, feeling her tired muscles protest. She hobbled down to her bedroom, changed into her pajamas, and stopped there. She eyed her bed warily as though it was the cause of her nightmares. She was suddenly overcome by a massive yawn, and she knew that she couldn't just stand there. Desi climbed into bed and got comfortable, thinking of Shaun. She hoped he was alright. She laid in bed a while longer before she slipped into sleep.

_"Stop!" she screams, fighting the men on either side of her. Shaun lays on the ground, coughing and moaning. She doesn't know where Lucy and Rebecca are. Suddenly a man grabs her hair - Lucy had _warned_ her to cut the stuff - and kicks her knee out from under her. She drops to her knees and a blade is pressed to her throat._

_ "Your choice. It's her or yourself. So what are you gonna choose?" one of them says to Shaun._

_ "Shaun, don't you do it," she shouts, and her voice cracks. "Don't you dare hurt yourself."_

_ Shaun opens his eyes and Desi can see that his decision is made. "I have to."_

_ "Damnit, Shaun, no you don't! You don't have to do this." Her voice is watery and she feels like she's crying. "You know better. Don't you dare let them hurt you. I can take it."_

_ Shaun works to sit up and a man hauls him to his knees. Desi feels like she's drowning._

_ "Desmond, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't have a choice here. Its what's best. I'm not going to lose you." Shaun sounds sad and she hears the man to her left say, "You have to the count of three."_

_ Desi looks him in the eyes. "Please. Don't do this to yourself. I can handle it, Shaun. Please," she whispers. Shaun just looks at her with those sad eyes._

_ "I'm sorry," he says, but the knife plunges into Desi's chest anyway. Pain explodes through her being and Desi has no air. She hears Shaun shouting her name and yelling, "Don't you die on me!" Her lungs fill with air and Desi screams, and suddenly her screams sound like Ezio's and there's a horrible pain in her abdomen._

_ "I'm sorry, Ezio, sorry. I told you to drink more of the wine, but you were too stubborn and if I don't do this now the _dottore _and his luadanum will be too late to save your sorry skin." It's Leonardo's voice and Ezio opens his mouth to moan the artist's name before another scream is ripped from his lungs as another shot of agony spears through him._

_ "I know, Ezio, _mi dispiace tanto_, but I have to do this. I wish I didn't have to, but I have no choice. Don't die on me." Ezio tries to tell Leonardo that he understands but a third scream tears through his throat and the pain in his abdomen is like a fiery knife and someone is wiping his brow with a damp cloth._

_ "I'm sorry, Altair! Please don't tell on me," Malik begs, and Altair wonders how he's supposed to hide a gaping sword wound in his side. He coughs in answer._

_ "Alt! No! Al Mualim will kill me if you die. Please, it was an accident. I didn't mean to hurt you. Kadar, don't just stand there, run and get help!" The damp cloth is drug across his wound and Altair screams in pain, Malik yelling with him._

_ "Alt, I'm sorry! Just be okay. Here, I have bandages." Malik grabs Altair's side roughly in a nervous rush and Altair screams again, gasping for breath afterwards. Malik is sobbing._

_ "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't want to do this, Altair, but I don't have a choice. You're bleeding...Alt, there's so much blood. Don't die on me. Don't! Please!" Malik tries to bandage his side again and Altair shouts in pain, struggling weakly against Malik's arms before he blacks out._

Desi woke up in a rush, crying out. Her troat was sore and she was drenched in a cold sweat. Her muscles were stiff from being rigid for some time. She relaxed back into the bed, shaking and, she was ashamed to realize, crying. She tried to remember the dream, but could only remember deep fear and pain, and the sound of Malik's, Leonardo's, and Shaun's voices saying the same thing. She wondered what it meant.

Desi looked at her watch. 5:26 a.m.. Desi sighed. It was going to be a long night. How she wished she had Shaun.

**A/N: KHFSBGDKBDOJFVNSDFNV You guys. Ugh. So I finally had the means to let you all know that I am not dead or given up on this story or anything like that. Please accept this poor excuse for a chapter as I try to find my characterization for these guys again and rediscover my writing style for this story. If things seem 10,000,000% different than before it's my fault. No betas as always, so all mistakes are mine. Feel free to point out any errors, and please please please leave me a review on your way out so I can know how things looks to you guys. You know, if you even want to read this far. :/**

** Once again, **_**mi dispiace tanto **_**for taking like a thousand years to get this up, and **_**grazie molto **_**for taking the time to read this and hopefully review! :D**


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